Reese Honse has spent over a decade working in bars and restaurants across San Diego. He started out working security at Henry’s and worked his way up to becoming the former general manager of El Dorado. Along the way he spent years working for Consortium Holdings, one of the most influential, and polarizing restaurant groups in San Diego. With more than 20 bar and restaurant concepts under their umbrella, CH gets a lot of love from people and a lot of criticism, and we get into both sides of that conversation.

We talk about the lessons and mistakes that come with running bar programs, the pressure of leadership in nightlife, and what it takes to build a career in the hospitality industry.

We also get into Yelp culture, bartending philosophy, the difference between craft and high-volume bars, whether a Long Island Iced Tea is actually a cocktail… and the current state of the San Diego bar scene.

Somewhere in the middle of the conversation I also tell the story of chasing Dennis, a serial dine and dasher through the Gaslamp for walking out on his tab. He has hit bars all over the city claiming he had just beaten cancer… and then leaves without paying. 

You can listen to all episodes of @Wellness_OnTheRocks on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Hosted and independently produced by @TaylorRedmondMcQuade